Christ in Limbo

The drawings on this sheet are related to Sebastiano del Piombo's Christ Descends into Limbo, showing Christ with the banner of the cross standing in front of the gate of hell. Christ's posture is a mirror image of that in the painting. The present study is the only one in which we know for certain that Michelangelo occupied himself with this compositional motif.

Sebastiano came to Rome in 1511 and soon became friends with Michelangelo, who took him under his wing. Michelangelo admired Sebastiano's coloration and made drafts for the paintings of his friend, who could not compete with the master with regard to compositional and heroic figural concepts.